Boat of Dreams
by FireStorm1991
Summary: Did you ever think back to a time in your life and think "What if this happened? Would this have changed?" Well say hello to the guy who doesn't do what-ifs. Will he have led the same life if his banishment never happened, or would he be different?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters. Don't ever say that I said I did because I didn't, did I?

So I had this idea for a story a while ago, and I wrote this, but I haven't been able to figure out where to go from the first chapter. I'm open for suggestions. Thanks. :D

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><p>"Okay guys, slumber party time!" Botan said with her oh so cheery voice.<p>

"What the hell is a slumber party?" Hiei asked.

Many eyes fell on him when Yusuke said, "Um, it's a party where you, uh, slumber?"

"That makes absolutely no sense."

"Oh sure it does," Yusuke said. "We hang out, watch movies, play games…it's usually a girl thing though where they stay up all night and talk and gossip."

"Not every girl does that, Yusuke," Keiko said in irritation.

"Aw, come on, Keiko. You know I meant nothing by it."

"So what are we watching?" Kuwabara asked, changing the subject. "I say something scary."

"Uh, why something scary?" Yukina asked.

"Oh, uh, no reason," Kuwabara said nervously while holding his hands up.

"I say we watch something romantic," Keiko said.

"Oh, I agree," Botan said.

"We are NOT watching a chic-flick," Yusuke muttered.

"A what?"

"Seriously, Hiei. You have never had a slumber party or heard of what happens at a girl's slumber party?" Kuwabara asked.

"Hn. You're an idiot. I lived in Demon World all my life. How am I supposed to know anything about your trivial customs?"

"So I was right about you not having a childhood."

"SHUT UP!"

"Okay, okay, take it easy. We're just messing with you," Yusuke said.

"Yes, this is all in good fun."

"Well, you've been awfully quiet, fox."

Kurama smiled. "Well, I was waiting to see whether you would leave or stay."

"I have better things to do," Hiei said getting up to leave.

"Like what?" Keiko asked.

The guys looked at her in surprise, except Hiei who just stared blankly at the door.

"Bad question, Keiko," Yusuke muttered.

"No, I'm serious. What do you have that's so important that you can't spend one night with your friends?

"Really bad question, Keiko," Yusuke said.

"Well, Hiei?" Keiko asked, obviously expecting an answer.

"Hn," he said, sitting back down.

"I thought so."

"So what should we play? We can pick out a movie later," Botan suggested.

"Hey, I have an idea."

"What is it, baby bro?"

"Let's play, what-if."

"Wha…What-if?"

"Yeah, shorty. I'll give an example. What if I never fought with Urameshi?"

"Ha, you'd probably die of boredom because you wouldn't be getting your ass kicked."

"Shut up, Urameshi!"

"Hn. Maybe this is a good game."

"If you think so, then why don't you try shorty."

"Hm?"

"I'll go next," Kurama said. "What if I never came to the Human World?"

"Well duh," Yusuke said. "We would never have met you."

"And since you were killed, your soul would have gone to Spirit World," Botan said.

"You were a thief, right?" Shizuru asked, receiving a nod. "You probably would have gone to hell."

Silence was followed by some nervous laughter on everyone's part minus Hiei who said nothing.

"I have one," Yukina said. "What if the ice village hadn't cast away my brother?"

Hiei froze and looked up at Yukina. "Wait…what ice village?" Yusuke asked.

"I was born in an ice village that looked down upon men and saw them as a curse. They threw my brother off the side of cliff when he was born, but Rui said he came back to look for our mother a while ago after I left."

Kurama, Yusuke, Botan, and Shizuru looked over at Hiei. Hiei growled. "What are you all looking at?"

"Why didn't you tell us that, Hiei?" Yusuke asked.

"Wait, how would Hiei know?" Kuwabara asked.

"Jagan," Hiei said, before anyone else could say anything.

"No, seriously Hiei," Yusuke said.

"Seriously, detective. Shut up," Hiei hissed.

"I don't see what the problem is," Keiko said.

"It's nothing," Kurama said waving his hand. "Anyway, who wants to answer Yukina's question?"

"I think that if Yukina's brother wasn't cast out that neither of you would be in Human World in the first place," Shizuru said.

"And then we wouldn't have met two of our favorite people," Yusuke said.

"Two?" Keiko called out.

"Um, did I say two?" Yusuke asked nervously, not daring to look at Hiei's death glare. "I meant 'you, you...one of our favorite people, Yukina.'" Then Yusuke gave a nervous laugh.

_Good save, but slip again and I'll kill you,_ Hiei said to Yusuke telepathically. Yusuke just smiled nervously at Hiei.

"Your turn, Shizuru," Kuwabara said.

"Okay, this goes with Yukina's. You said you were looking for your brother, right?" Yukina nodded. "Well, what if Yukina's brother actually told her that he was her brother?" Hiei glared at her.

"Why don't you answer this one, Hiei?" Kurama asked, he too receiving a glare.

"Yeah, I'd like to hear this one," Yusuke said, lying down on side using his arm as a headrest.

Hiei just glared at both of them and sighed in defeat. "If Yukina's brother decided to tell her the truth, she wouldn't be happy."

"Why do you say that, Hiei?" Keiko asked.

"Seriously, Keiko, stop with the bad questions," Yusuke said.

"It was actually a very good question," Botan said defending Keiko. "Why do you think that, Hiei?"

"I can answer that," Shizuru said. "Maybe he's saying that her brother hates himself and expects her to hate him too." Hiei was starting to realize that Shizuru knew the truth as well.

"Hey, Shizuru, you can't add to the details. You asked the question," Kuwabara whined.

"I was just making an observation."

"An…observation?" Kuwabara asked confused. "What kind of observation? It's not like her brother is here, so how would you know?"

Before the four sets of eyes landed on Hiei again, he shot up. "I'm leaving," he growled as he walked out of Genkai's temple.

"Wha? Was it something I said?" Kuwabara asked.

"No, but it was definitely something Shizuru said," Kurama said with a frown. "However, it was very perceptive of you, Shizuru."

"I just call it as I see it."

"I don't get it…what are you talking about?" Keiko asked.

"Hiei?" Yukina's voice caused all eyes to be on her now. "Is Hiei…?"

"Yes," Kurama said, slightly regretting it as soon as the word left his mouth. He would definitely be dealing with an angry fire demon in the morning.

"Is Hiei what?" Kuwabara asked.

"You mean all this time…?" Keiko said. Yusuke nodded.

"All this time what?"

"Seriously, Kuwabara. Hiei's right. You are an idiot. Do we really have to spell it out?"

"Shut up, Urameshi, and just tell me already."

"Hiei is my brother."

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><p>Hiei grumbled, stomping off into the forest, trying not to destroy anything. Before he could run off, Kurama came outside to get him. "Hiei, just come back inside."<p>

"Why?"

"Well, let me ask a question."

"Does it have to do with that stupid game?"

"Yes."

"Then no."

"I'm asking it anyway. What if Yukina came to the conclusion that you're her brother all on her own?"

"I don't do 'what-ifs,' fox. Go have your party."

"Hiei, what if this what if was a reality?"

"That makes no sense." Hiei then disappeared into the trees, leaving Kurama to sigh heavily and return back to the others.

_Stupid fox…stupid game…that girl is wrong. I don't hate myself, and Yukina will hate me. Why should she care about someone she never knew?_ Hiei continued running deeper into the forest until he reached the beach on the one side of Genkai's land. And he wasn't alone.

"Hey," a stranger called out to him. Hiei ignored the stranger and started to walk away.

"Hey!" the stranger called again. "I'm talking to you, you know?" Hiei glanced over his shoulder. "You look like you need a lift somewhere. Why don't you come over here? I have a boat and I can take your wherever you want to go."

"Hn," Hiei finally responded. "There's nowhere in this world that I want to go."

"I never said we would be staying in this world, now did I, Hiei?"

Hiei glared viciously at the man. He ran over and was ready to punch the guy. "How do you know my name?"

"I said it looked like there was somewhere you needed to go. Hop in."

Hiei didn't know why, but he found himself complying with the man's demand, something he never thought he'd do. _What is wrong with me?_

"Hiei?"

"Hm?"

"Welcome to the _Boat of Dreams_."

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><p>AN: So yeah...I have some ideas for this story, but I don't exactly know what to write so if there're any suggestions you have, let me know.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

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><p>Within minutes, Hiei found himself in a small boat in the middle of the ocean with an old stranger, and he was not happy about it. He stood carefully so that he wouldn't fall out of the boat, but he grabbed the stranger by his shirt and said, "You better take me back to that beach now or suffer the consequences."<p>

The man smiled. "I thought you said there was nowhere in the world that you wanted to be, so I'm taking you away from it."

Hiei's eyes narrowed at the man. "Oh don't take it that way, Hiei. I'm not here to kill you or anything. That would be a waste of this boat's magic."

"Magic?" Hiei asked. "What magic?"

"Hiei, have you ever thought about what your life would be like if you did something differently?"

"Hn."

"I'll take that as a 'yes,'" the man said smiling, and then his age changed and he was now looking like someone in their twenties. "Many people ask this one question all the time: 'What if I had gone today instead of yesterday?' 'What if I had accepted his invitation?' 'What if I had finished school?' Humans ask that question at least once a day."

"Hn," Hiei responded, crossing his arms. "I'm not human and I don't do 'what ifs.'"

"But have you ever thought about a 'what if' becoming reality?"

"You sound just like the fox," Hiei answered. He sat down and laid back. "If you're not planning to take me back, then I am going to sleep now."

After Hiei was sound asleep the man said, "Sleep well, Hiei. For when you wake up, you will be in another world entirely."

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><p>"Son, son, it's time to wake up," Hiei heard a voice say. He told himself that he must have fallen asleep at Kurama's house and Shiori was busy waking up her son. "Come on, now. You can't sleep in all day."<p>

Then Hiei felt a hand on his shoulder. He sat up quickly and nearly choked when he saw his mother sitting at the side of the bed. She was exactly how he had remembered her before she was forced to give him up.

"M-mother?" he gasped out.

"Yes, Hiei. Are you alright? You look pale."

"I-" he was cut off when Yukina ran into the room.

"Are you still in bed, big brother?" she asked cheerfully. "You need to get up so we can go on our trip."

"Our trip?" he asked.

Yukina danced out of the room before he could get anything else out of her.

He looked to his mother who now looked sad.

"I really wish we didn't have to leave, but it's not fair to you to keep you hidden here," his mother explained. "Your sister doesn't realize that we won't be coming back yet. Thank you for not telling her."

Hiei looked at her in confusion for a few minutes trying to make sense of what was happening. He had to be dreaming. There was no way any of this was possible.

Hina walked out of the room to go finish gathering a few things when Yukina entered the room.

"I still can't believe she hasn't realized that I figured this all out a long time ago," she whispered.

Hiei looked at her in shock. "You know?"

"Of course I know and I'm really excited. We can go out in public and be a real family. Isn't it great, big brother?"

"Um, yeah…it is," Hiei said nervously while looking away. _What the hell is going on?_

Hiei looked outside of the window to try to figure out where he was and was met with the sight of a place he never thought he'd see again, the Glacial Village.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

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><p><em>This is not happening,<em> Hiei thought to himself. He had to be dreaming. There was no way he would be in the ice world with his sister and deceased mother. _Did I die or something? But why is Yukina here?_ It was then he remembered what the old man on the boat said. _What the hell?_

Hiei now realized that the old man trapped him in some kind of fake world. This situation was one he never thought he would have to deal with. Now he understood. In this world, his mother hid him and the village elders never found out, meaning he and Yukina were raised together and now they were escaping this cold, cruel land.

"Come on, Hiei. Aren't you packed?" Yukina asked.

Hiei saw his sword and cloak near a table. "Yeah, I guess I am," he replied. Then he felt something different and put his hand to his forehead. The Jagan was missing. _I guess I didn't get the surgery, _he stated in his thoughts.

"Alright, you two. Are you ready?" Hina asked walking in on the twins.

"Yes, mother," Yukina answered. Hiei just nodded.

"Okay, now we have to go out back," she explained. "Rui will be waiting for us at the border to make sure we get out of here safely."

In the real world, as Hiei would now call it, Rui had been the one to attempt to kill him. Why was she helping them in this fake world?

They made it about halfway to the border as Hiei took in his surroundings. It was the dead of night as they were escaping, too dark to really see anything.

"Hina," the voice of a village elder called. She didn't see Hiei or Yukina.

"Kids," Hina whispered, "continue on to the border. Rui will protect you. Go forward and I will meet you as soon as I can."

Hiei didn't know what else to do so he took Yukina's hand and continued on to the border.

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><p>"Where is your mother?" Rui asked in concern.<p>

"A village elder spotted her," Hiei replied, "but I think it was too dark for her to see us."

Rui's expression grew solemn. The elder was planning on incarcerating Hina. Somehow they found out about her harboring a male for the last fifteen years. Hina had told Rui if she had been captured to get the kids out without her. Hiei needed to be free and he needed his sister.

"Alright, you two. We need to go ahead and send you off the island. Once in the Makai, you need to make your way towards Ningenkai, understand?"

Yukina and Hiei nodded. A flash of light was before their eyes. When the light cleared, they were in the Makai near a river. The same river that Hiei was found near by the thieves in the real world.

"Mother isn't coming, is she, Hiei?" Yukina asked sadly. He could see she was about to start crying, but he couldn't let that happen, not in the Makai. She would draw too much attention and get herself captured. He wiped the unshed tears from her eyes and she hugged him and buried her face in his chest.

Hiei felt comfort knowing that Yukina looked up to him and loved him, but he kept reminding himself that this world was fake. He took in their surroundings before thinking of their next action.

They had to get out of the Makai and into Ningenkai and a portal had just opened up nearby.

"We need to go, Yukina," Hiei told her. She looked up at him and nodded and the two were off.

Once through the portal, Hiei had to figure out where to go. In this world, he hadn't met Yusuke, Kurama, or the fool. Genkai was probably still anti-demon. Going to Reikai wouldn't help either because Koenma didn't know him.

He decided his best bet was the fox, whether or not he knew him.

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><p>"Have a good day mother," Kurama said to Shiori as he left the house. He turned and saw Hiei and Yukina standing across the street and glared at them. <em>What on earth would two demons be doing here?<em> he asked himself as he crossed the street. "State your business, because I have no interest in quarrelling and I will not let other apparitions harm my mother."

"We aren't here to harm you or your family, Kurama," Hiei explained.

"Then why are you here and how do you know my name?" Kurama asked darkly, slightly scaring Yukina.

"My sister and I just escaped our homeland. Our mother…may or may not be joining us. We don't have anywhere else to go. Please," Hiei said a word he never thought he would say. _Stupid fake world making me soft…_

Kurama's eyes softened as he did not detect a lie. "Alright, I'll help you, but you are not to tell my mother about me and you are to call me Shuichi around her. Can you do that?" Both Hiei and Yukina nodded. "Alright, then follow my lead."

Kurama led them into his house and Shiori looked at the three teenagers.

"Oh, Shuichi, I thought you had left," Shiori stated. "Who are these two?"

"They are old friends of mine," Kurama lied. "They are looking for a place to stay until their mother joins them. Would you mind if they stayed with us for a while?"

"Oh course, Shuichi," Shiori said with a smile. "You two are welcome to get settled in the guest room, but Shuichi, you must get to school."

"Alright mother," Kurama said.

He led Hiei and Yukina to the guest room. "Do not go anywhere," he ordered. "When I get home I will show you around town. If you have caused any trouble, I will make your lives miserable, got that?"

"Hn," Hiei replied. "We'll be fine."

Kurama closed the door and headed off to school. Yukina watched him look back at them through the window. Her brother had the weirdest friends.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

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><p>Shiori left for work a few hours before Kurama had come home. He went straight to his room to see that his guests had stayed there and hadn't made any trouble. His presence scared the girl, and part of him felt bad for that. He would have to get information out of them eventually because he couldn't just allow strange demons he didn't know into his home with his human mother who couldn't defend herself.<p>

Yukina walked up to him and bowed excusing herself. The tension in the room was just too thick for her. Kurama looked over to the window to see Hiei staring outside of it deep in thought.

"What's your story?" Kurama asked snapping Hiei out of his trance.

Hiei turned to face him and said, "I do not like talking about my past." Then he realized it was a different situation from his past and that in this world, he never met Kurama. He sighed and continued on with the story that led them here. "We are from a race of ice maidens. My mother committed a crime in their eyes and had sexual relations with a man. Yukina and I were born as twins and my mother kept me hidden for many years in fear they would kill me. Today, we were coming to Ningenkai to get away from them and start a life as a real family, but as we were leaving, the village elders saw her and she told us to go on without her. Her friend sent us here and I knew…I mean I heard rumors…that you lived here. I just needed to find a safe place for Yukina."

Kurama's guarded eyes softened. "Alright then," he said causing Hiei to look over to him. "You two can stay on the conditions that you help out around the house, you two join me at school, and you swear that you won't dare lay a finger on my mother. Deal?"

Hiei smirked. "Deal."

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><p>A few weeks had gone by and Hiei and Yukina somehow managed to get enrolled in school with Kurama. Hiei thought it was boring, but that wasn't anything new. Yukina enjoyed it, though, and was getting along better with Kurama. Now that he had understood their situation, he was more inclined to be nice to them both. They hadn't done anything wrong and were just trying to be a family in the safety of a more accepting world.<p>

Shiori enjoyed the company of her new house guests. They kept her son busy, but he was hanging out with children his own age. She was concerned about them, though. They said their mother would be joining them, but that was about a month ago. And the two of them were acting more like refugees than those on a journey. Could it be possible that their mother was held up somewhere and they just didn't want to admit it to themselves yet or was she just being paranoid? When Hiei entered the kitchen, she decided to ask.

"So, Hiei, when will your mother be joining you?"

Hiei visibly flinched and Shiori could tell that she might not be far off from the truth. As a social worker, she was trained in these things.

Hiei looked down and solemnly said, "I'm beginning to think never."

Shiori frowned at his defeated expression. He had definitely been holding on to the impossible hope that his mother would follow after them. Little did she know, he knew that would never happen. His defeated expression was a result of the guilt he felt for being born. In both worlds, because of him, his mother had died and that was unforgivable. It should have never happened. He should have never happened.

"Hiei, where is your mother?" Shiori asked making him flinch again.

"I don't know," he lied. He couldn't tell Shiori anything about Demon World of the ice world and he didn't want to. Kurama had explained that his mother was a social worker and would pick up on things like abuse or depression and to be careful. If she thought that they were orphans, then he and Yukina could be separated. Hiei would never let that happen, even if it was some sort of fake world. No, he had to play it safe.

Shiori could see his apprehension and mistrust. She knew what he was thinking and she would never do it. Not only were they friends of her son, but she was beginning to see them as her own children. Plus, she would never risk twins being separated. That was just cruel and unusual punishment and would hurt them more than help.

"Hiei, I'm not going to ever put you or Yukina in the system," she explained to the boy who still refused to look at her. "I would never risk you two being separated. You don't need that. You both are welcomed to stay here. I see you as my own family. But I need to know, was your mother ever coming?"

Hiei looked at her and could feel the honestly in her words rolling off in waves. "No," he finally told her. "She was never coming."

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><p>AN: This was a re-edited chapter. I was going through it and found a random mistake and I hate random mistakes so I went back and fixed it. So just to let you all know, if you ever see a mistake, let me know. I'm too much of a perfectionist to let that go :3 Thanks.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or any of the characters

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><p>After his conversation with Shiori, Yukina had been avoiding Hiei. He thought it was possible she could have heard what he said, but he couldn't tell without the Jagan.<p>

_It would have been so much easier if I had that right about now, _Hiei thought. He was still trying to figure out this bizarre situation.

"Hiei," Kurama called him out of his thoughts.

"What?" Hiei snapped.

"You've been brooding for days and Yukina has been avoiding everyone," Kurama observed. "What's up?"

Hiei crossed his arms and looked away. "Hn. Nothing that concerns you, fox."

Kurama rolled his eyes at the snappy fire demon. "Look, the two of you are my guests here because you somehow knew I was a demon. So your business became my business the day I allowed you to stay here. Talk."

Hiei was never one to argue with Kurama, and he did make a valid point. In the real world, he had met Kurama before and, in a strange way, they became friends. Here, he had never met the demon before, but even so, was permitted to stay there with his sister.

Hiei let out a huff of air and said, "I think Yukina heard me talking to your mother. She asked me if my mother was ever coming after she explained she would never risk separating Yukina and I. I told her our mother was never coming. I don't know if Yukina heard us or not, but if she did, she's probably avoiding me for lying to her."

"If that were the case, she wouldn't be avoiding everyone, just you," Kurama stated. Hiei glared at him but let him continue. Then Kurama blushed. "Maybe it's girl stuff, you know? I mean, she is around that age."

Hiei shuddered thinking about how they were most likely hitting demon puberty. He forgot that they were relatively young for demons, about ninety years or so. In about ten years, Yukina would end up being pregnant out of the blue. It hit him that they would have explaining to do then to anyone who didn't know about ice maidens. Then he thought about how frustrating going through puberty was the first time and this time he would not have an outlet for his aggressive nature.

_Just great, _Hiei thought bitterly.

"You know, if that's the case, you'll be going through changes too," Kurama pointed out.

"Don't remind me," Hiei growled. He didn't need to be reminded.

"Just don't attack any innocent bystanders," Kurama ordered. "I know how aggressive young demons can get as I was one."

Hiei eyed him and then asked, "As someone who has gone through puberty twice, any advice?"

Kurama blushed. "Um, human puberty is a lot…different…than demon puberty, more embarrassing." He then regained his composure. "As for demon puberty, as long as we find you an outlet to release your energy buildup without killing, then everything should be fine. I know of a place where we can go and fight in secret. I say we do that every day for a while."

Hiei nodded his agreement. "Sounds better than what I had planned," he admitted. What he was thinking of would probably get him and Yukina kicked out.

* * *

><p>"This is stupid," Hiei said.<p>

"What?" Kurama asked.

"You brought a highly energetic fire demon to the middle of a wooded area to expel his excess energy in a fight. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Kurama chuckled. "Relax, these plants are protected by my energy. They won't combust."

"You planted this forest?" Hiei questioned. He didn't believe it, but hey, it was Kurama.

"Yes, I have the tendency to plant forests in places where I may end up needing them in the future." Hiei snorted remembering the forest that appeared in the Demon World Tournament. There probably were tons more where that came from. "Now let's fight."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, on the other side of the city…<p>

"Yusuke, you have another case," Botan said cheerily.

"Again?" Yusuke asked. He lied back down and pointed over to Kuwabara. "Give it to my secretary. I'm on vacation."

"Hey!" Kuwabara explained. "Urameshi, I am not your secretary."

"Would you rather be called sidekick?" Yusuke teased.

"Oh shut up and just listen!" Botan yelled causing both teens to look at her with a slight hint of fear. "That's better."

"Anyway, Koenma said there've been high fluctuations of demon energy near Kurama's neighborhood."

"Kurama?" Yusuke asked. He remembered his case involving that demon. Kurama had broken into the Spirit World vault and taken some wacky mirror to save his mother. Yusuke helped him and they both survived the mirror's effects. Kurama gave the mirror back after that. Since he only knocked out some guards, gave the artifact back after using it for pure methods, and, most importantly, since King Enma never found out, Koenma let him off with a warning and made him an official member of their team. "Let's go check it out. I mean, I'm sure he's okay, but it couldn't hurt, right?"

Botan and Kuwabara agreed and they headed over to Kurama's neighborhood hoping there weren't any major problems with their friend.

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><p>AN: Haha XD So I had to find a way to explain how Shiori was okay with the whole thing and to get Hiei to meet Yusuke and Kuwabara. I didn't know what to write for the chapter and while I was writing the whole puberty idea hit me. I mean, I never honestly thought about it. Maybe The Big Bang Theory is getting to me since I've been watching it like crazy XD They seem to talk about that stuff a lot. Let me know what you thought? I was laughing the entire time.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters.

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><p>"Kurama!" Yusuke called over to his friend fighting a fire demon in the forest. He and Kuwabara were about to attack when they saw the other fighter stop in his tracks. They weren't fighting; they were sparring. "Who's your friend?"<p>

"This is Hiei," Kurama replied. "He and his sister are staying with me and my mother."

"Oh, okay then," Yusuke responded now understanding the situation. "Koenma gave us a case asking us to investigate demon energy fluctuations in this area. We were kind of worried."

Kurama smiled. "Honestly, it's nothing to worry about."

"Well, that's a relief," Kuwabara said coming out of nowhere. "So, you're a demon too, huh?"

"Hn, a fool in this world as well," Hiei sneered. "What a surprise."

"What did you say punk?" Kuwabara asked before attempting to punch Hiei, and just like what had happened in his own world, he dodged it and Kuwabara fell over.

"Wow, you're fast," Yusuke observed. "So, you're not a demon that wants to bite my head off, are you?"

"Hn, it would be a waste," Hiei replied thinking about Yusuke's demon transformation that would eventually happen.

"Well, I guess I'll take that as a compliment. So, a sister huh? I never had a sibling. Kinda wish I did, though. What's her name?"

"Yukina."

"That sounds pretty," Kuwabara said from his awkward position on the ground.

"You go anywhere near her and I'll kill you," Hiei spat venomously.

"It would be her choice, Hiei," Kurama explained. "That's how it works in Human World."

"I know that already. I just don't like this guy."

"Feeling's mutual."

"Hn."

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><p>Later that night, Hiei had a very strange dream. It started out with the day after he left on the ship and ended a few days later, like how much time had passed in this fake world.<p>

_Yukina was crying and Kuwabara couldn't understand why she was so upset about Hiei leaving. In his opinion, if the short, fire demon didn't want her to know, he didn't deserve her love. Yukina gave him a very Hiei like glare and told him if that was how he felt, he should stay away from her. Kuwabara would never understand why Hiei felt the need to hide it, but she did._

_The next day Kurama went to check on her to see if she was okay. He had heard about the breakup from Yusuke and was worried about how she was holding up._

"_Oh, Kurama," Yukina sobbed against his shoulder. "Do you think it was because of me?"_

"_No, Yukina," Kurama answered. "It was never you. Hiei loves you very much. What Shizuru said was spot on. Hiei was afraid of rejection. He and I both have pasts we aren't proud of."_

"_But it's not his fault!" Yukina exclaimed. "It was theirs. That's why I left. I wanted to know that my brother was alive and well."_

"_And now you do," Kurama reminded her._

"_I know, but he left," Yukina said sadly._

"_I promise you, Yukina, he will be back. It may take him a long time to accept the turn of events, but he will come back."_

Hiei woke up with a start. "What the hell was that?" he asked to no one in particular. Had it been a dream? The emotions had felt so real. Was Yukina suffering in the real world while he was stuck here? How could he get back? He needed to be there for her.

"Such irony," a voice called out. Hiei turned to see the old man, who then turned into a middle-aged man.

"You! Where the hell did you send me?" Hiei asked bitterly.

"You didn't want to be in your world, so I sent you into another world that ended up being different. As you live your days here, time will pass in your world as it does here."

"I need to get back! Send be back this instant!" Hiei yelled.

"I can't do that, Hiei," the man said. "The only way you can go back is if you resolve what sent you here in the first place."

"But Yukina knows I'm her brother here," Hiei pointed out. "That's what happened to send me here, right?"

"I can't tell you. I'm sorry, Hiei, but if you want to get back, only you can help yourself."

The man disappeared leaving Hiei in his dark room, but he heard him say one last thing. "Every time you go to sleep, you will see snippets of what is happening in your world if you hadn't figured that out already."

Hiei was beyond angry at this point. He thought back to that night. What had to be resolved? He went to a sleepover; they played a game; Yukina found out the truth; and he left. Well, he had already resolved the last two. Yukina knew here too and he was with her. It then dawn on Hiei that he was going to need help. He didn't care how crazy he sounded. In the morning, he would talk to the fox and work on getting out of this world.

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><p>AN: And now to the plot :D Hope you liked it. Anyway, I wanted to let you know, I have a lot of story ideas and I want to start on one of them, so I posted a poll. There's four stories to choose from: 2 YYH and 2 DBZ. I'll let you guys decide. They will eventually all be done, but I don't want to take on more than I can chew (I'm probably doing that already). Thanks ^_^


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters.

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><p>Hiei thought about what the man had said. He had to figure out how to get back. His sister was suffering because of him and he was feeling guilty about it. He told Kurama about the scenario hoping the other demon wouldn't see him as crazy.<p>

"The Boat of Dreams," Kurama mumbled. Obviously he hadn't. "I have heard of it, but meeting up with the captain is a very rare thing indeed. You must have really been unhappy with your life."

"Shut up!" Hiei snapped. "I just didn't want Yukina to know."

"Why?" Kurama asked. "What could have been so important that you keep it from her?"

"My mother's people succeeded in separating us," Hiei explained. "I grew up as a thief and killer. I met you once when you were younger protecting your friend from some woman eating demon and then we met up again later in life to steal the artifacts from the vault of spirit world. The detective stopped us and then a lot of other stuff happened. I also had the Jagan, which I don't seem to anymore."

"Well, that's a lot to take in," Kurama stated. "Well, what happened the night you were sent here?"

"Everyone was having a sleep over and we were playing some stupid human game, 'What If,' and I guess it came out that I was Yukina's brother."

"You guess?"

"Well, the fool's…I mean Kuwabara's sister…said something that set me off and I left. I didn't know Yukina figured it out until I had that dream last night."

"What did she say to set you off?" Kurama asked.

"It's not important!" Hiei snapped.

"Everything is important, Hiei," Kurama replied. "We have to recreate the whole thing exactly for you to be sent back."

"But if you mean everything, then we'll have to wait years since so much had happened in that time."

Kurama chuckled. "No, Hiei, we just need to recreate the event that sent you here. I'll talk to the others," Kurama told him. "We'll recreate everything exactly, except it must have a different end result. One that resolves the moment that you desired to escape."

"But Yukina already knows I'm her brother," Hiei pointed out. "It will seem stupid to ask that question."

"We can change the wording slightly, so that we're asking the same question, but it will all just be part of the game. You just need to go work on writing down everything that was said, where we were sitting, where we actually were, and then I'll take care of the details."

"Why are you helping me?" Hiei asked.

"Because," Kurama said, "you would do the same for me. Plus, in your world you helped me save Maya. In this world…well, I couldn't take the demon down on my own. I guess you being there made all the difference."

Hiei was taken aback. He remembered Kurama and the others saying things like that all the time, but he always shrugged it off as pathetic human emotion. No one really saw him as important; at least that's what he convinced himself to believe. Hiei had always wanted to belong, but suffered from an incredible amount of self-loathing. _Maybe the woman was right, _he thought. _I was afraid of rejection._

* * *

><p>Later that night, Hiei saw another moment from the present world and he was completely shocked.<p>

"_Kurama?" Yukina called out._

"_Over here, Yukina," Kurama said from the kitchen of Genkai's compound._

_Yukina looked like she had gone through the war. She was tired and her energy was weak from exhaustion and worry._

"_Thank you," she said meekly._

_Kurama looked at her, confusion plastered on his normally calm face. "For what?"_

"_For talking with me last night," Yukina reminded. "I hope I didn't cause you too much trouble."_

_Kurama smiled and said, "It was no trouble at all Yukina, but I can tell that this is not what you wanted to talk to me about. What's on your mind?"_

"_I want to go to Demon World," Yukina told him hesitantly. "I…I want to see if my brother is visiting Mukuro like you guys are always talking about."_

_Kurama almost dropped the plate he was moving to the table. "You…You want to meet Mukuro?" Kurama asked in disbelief._

"_Yes. Please, Kurama, my brother spent a lot of time with her. He must have gone there. I need to talk to him."_

"_Yukina, I don't know…" Kurama said. It wasn't that he didn't trust Mukuro, but in her territory, there were many cruel demons always looking for a fight…or a female. He didn't think it would be safe to put Yukina in that position. But he also knew he couldn't fight her on this. He let out a sigh and reluctantly agreed. "I will take you, but you are to do everything I say. It's very dangerous there and I don't even think your brother would want you there. You are to stay close to me at all times."_

_Yukina nodded, accepting his terms. "Alright, Kurama, and thank you." She walked over to him and hugged him. Kurama blushed slightly, but hugged her back._

I hope Hiei doesn't kill me for this, _he thought about both the hug and taking Yukina to see Mukuro._

Hiei woke up in shock, alone. He could sense their emotions this time and was blushing madly at the fact that he just felt that his best friend had feelings for his sister. _How did I not notice that?_

Hiei got up and looked out the window. He needed to get back to his sister. She needed him, and now she was going through with something that would put her in danger. _Kurama, you better keep her safe or I'll kill you when I finally get back._


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

Thanks to all who reviewed and are reading this fic. I appreciate the support.

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><p>Hiei spent the next few days wracking his brain. He didn't know if he could recreate that night and remember every little detail. Meanwhile, the Yukina of this world was still avoiding him. He didn't know what he had done wrong, but Yukina did.<p>

"_Was your mother ever coming?"_

"_No, she was never coming."_

Yukina couldn't believe her brother would keep something like that from her, but it seemed like he did that all the time. She overheard the conversation he had with Kurama about the boat. If he had just told her, she would help him get back to his own world, but he seemed to keep secrets even in his own world. Yukina wouldn't confront him, though, not yet. Hiei needed to come to her.

* * *

><p>"<em>Yukina," Kurama said with his hand on her shoulder. "Please, stay close."<em>

_Yukina smiled and nodded. They had finally made it to Mukuro's territory._

_A guard blocked them from entering the gates. "Names."_

"_Youko Kurama and Yukina, Hiei's sister," Kurama stated making sure to use his and Hiei's names. They did hold some weight in Demon World after all. The guard let them in._

_Yukina wasn't expecting to see a woman with dead, decaying skin and was slightly shocked and frightened by the venomous glare directed at her._

"_So you are the one Hiei chose over me," Mukuro said bitterly. "His little sister, Yukina."_

_Yukina was a little taken aback by the bitter attitude Mukuro held towards her. It wasn't her fault that Hiei chose to stay in Human World, was it? "Please," she pleaded, "I need to find my brother."_

_Mukuro rolled her eye at the girl. It was so obvious that she really didn't know Hiei at all. If Hiei was upset, this was the last place he'd come. He would go somewhere where no one could find him and then come back in his own time. Mukuro didn't feel like telling her that._

"_You're wasting my time," Mukuro said coldly. "I have work to do. Leave my territory at once."_

_Yukina was about to run over to Mukuro and beg her to tell where her brother might have gone, but Kurama stopped her and shook his head. Yukina reluctantly agreed to leave her territory, but she would not give up on looking for her brother._

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><p>AN: Sorry for the short length. Couldn't think of much to write for this one today, but I wanted to get another chapter out.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters.

Warning: Another short chapter but I wanted to update since for the next few weeks I'll be preparing for finals and may or may not be able to post more chapters. I also wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving.

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><p>"Yukina, why are you sitting out here?" Kurama asked.<p>

"Oh, Kurama, why do you all have to keep so many secrets from me?" Yukina asked. "I can help."

"You mean you know?" Kurama asked in shock. Yukina nodded. "Why haven't you said anything?"

"Because none of you told me!" she shouted. "Look, I want to help, but I won't if my brother refuses to tell me what's going on. By the way, you better not tell him any of this. He needs to come to me on his own."

Kurama reluctantly agreed. If he could tell Hiei, then everything would move along quicker. Well, that is, once Hiei remembered everything that happened.

* * *

><p>A month; it had been a month and Hiei only had everything that happened up until they started playing written out. The game itself was the most difficult.<p>

_Okay, I remember the question the fool asked since it was entertaining. Then Yukina asked about the ice village…what else happened? _Hiei wrote some more down that he remembered being said and nearly finished the entire game scenario. _But everything was fine there. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. Nothing needs to be resolved. None of that is what made me want to leave. WAIT!_

When he left, Kurama had come to talk to him and aggravated him even more.

"_**I don't do 'what ifs.'"**_

_If I had chosen to go along with him, would things have been different?_

Hiei wrote in the change he should have made then. Now he just had to tell the fox, figure out what to do about getting Yukina involved, and then getting the damn "slumber party" over with.

"Hiei, we need your help!" Kurama shouted in desperation.

"What?"

"Koenma is sending Yusuke and Kuwabara to Maze Castle for a mission. They can't do this alone."

_Damn._


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters.

Well, the story is almost done…well, just about. And here's a new chapter. Just in time for Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanza/Ramadan :D I have no idea if there are any other holidays out there…oh wait, I forgot the Winter Solstice…my bad. Enjoy guys!

Also, I have a poll going on now about which story I should update first in the New Year. You get to vote for three so make them count ;) I'm kind of curious to see which one wins out so have fun with it. Thanks!

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><p>The mission was even more annoying the second time around. Hiei didn't remember it lasting as long as it did, but that wasn't the problem. When the detective had defeat Suzaku, he ended up being asleep for three days. So the mission was two days, and there were three days for the detective to recover. The dreams were coming more frequently than not and it got to the point where Kurama, his best friend, was now dating his little sister. All that time of comforting her, Hiei realized that Kurama had been in love with her for a while. Well, it was better than the fool who couldn't win a fight.<p>

It was now Wednesday in this fake world and Hiei still had to go to school. With the script completed, it was even more frustrating that he couldn't implement it. He needed to get back and make things right with his sister, his real sister.

"Hiei, what's wrong?" Yukina of the fake world had asked him at lunch.

Hiei eyed her cautiously. "I need to get out of here," he stated.

"Of school?" Yukina asked. "Why?"

"Not school, Yukina." Hiei thought it would be best to tell her at some point. After going through that mission a second time, with the whole gate of betrayal scenario, Hiei realized what mistakes he made in life and he was going to correct them. "I need to tell you something."

"Yes, big brother?" Yukina pressed, hoping he was about to tell her the truth.

Hiei sighed. "Look, I don't belong here," he replied. "I'm actually from a different dimension. I…made a mistake…and I need to make it right. I was sent here on this thing called the Boat of Dreams. I have to replay everything that happened that night and fix my mistake."

"What was the mistake you made?" Yukina asked, already knowing the answer.

Hiei looked away from her, clearly ashamed about what had happened. "In that world, Yukina, I wasn't hidden from the Ice Maidens. They knew of me and attempted to kill me, throwing me from the mountain. I survived, only to be found and raised by thieves. I stole and killed for a living, for fun, before I was shunned by them. I then returned to the village after getting a Jagan implant and found out about you. I started watching over you until I had other business and then when that business was over, I found out you were captured." He paused.

Yukina blinked a couple of times. "Go on," she urged.

Hiei looked over to her. "I lied to you. You asked me who I was and I didn't tell you. I was so afraid you wouldn't accept me, like the others."

"I'm not like the other ice maidens," she defended.

"I know you're not," he assured her, "but I was too caught up in my own fears that even when you said you were looking for your brother and asked for my help, I still told you that it was foolish to look for him and that he was probably dead. I shouldn't have done that."

"Hiei, what happened that night that forced you here?" Yukina questioned.

"You found out and I didn't wait to see what you'd say. You can read it later if you want. I had to recreate exactly what happened and what was said."

"You regret it? Lying to me and walking out on me, I mean."

"Yes, especially when I have to see what's going on back in my world every night and see how much you are suffering because I'm not there. You think I abandoned you in that world, and in all honesty, part of me did."

Yukina smiled and put her hand on his. "Look, we won't solve anything by you feeling sorry for yourself."

"We?" Hiei asked in surprise.

"Of course," Yukina exclaimed. "No matter what, I am your sister. I've known what's been going on, but was waiting for you to tell me. I told myself I would help you get back only if you told me the truth for once and you did. The me in your world will understand too."

Hiei took hold of her hand and let himself smile. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>"<em>Kurama, I'm starting to lose faith," Yukina said. It had been nearly two months and even after searching Mukuro's territory, Hiei still hadn't been found. "He must be angry with me."<em>

"_Yukina," Kurama said seriously, "he is not angry with you. He is angrier with himself than with you. He never told you, not because of you, but as Shizuru said, his own fears and insecurities. Hiei didn't stick around that day so he doesn't know you know. He is probably working through his insecurities right now so that he can one day tell you himself."_

"_Do you really think so?" Yukina said as the light in her eyes went from hopeless to hopeful. Kurama smiled and took her hands._

"_I know so," Kurama told her. "I trust your brother with my life and I'd bet my life that he is working hard to find his way back to you. He loves you, Yukina."_

_Tears fell from Yukina's eyes, both from happiness and sadness. "Thank you, Kurama."_

_He put his arms around her and held her close to him. "Anytime, Yukina, anytime."_

Hiei woke up feeling a lot lighter after that. What Kurama had said was true. He was fighting to get back and had already arranged the "slumber party" for the next day. No one minded skipping school since it was such a good cause and the fact that this world wouldn't exist after the party anyway. He was going to get back even if it killed him. He had to apologize to his sister and best friend for just running out on them. Just less than twenty-four hours and he would be home.

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><p>AN: So, I hope everyone liked it. If I finish this story before the first, I'll remove it from the pole. Probably two more chapters. It would be one more, but then I'll have eleven chapters and my major pet-peeve is numbers that end in one…I know, I a strange one -_- Thanks for reading ^_^


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters.

Happy New Year, everyone. Here's a nice update for you :3 Also, this is going to be a chapter repeat as it will be a repeat of the slumber party. It follows the conversation with slight changes, thoughts, and actions so that it doesn't get too boring/repetitive.

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><p>It was finally time for the sleepover and Hiei was ready to go back home and make things right with his sister and best friend.<p>

"Okay, so we just have to say all these things and then you get to go home?" Yusuke asked. Hiei nodded.

"Hm, I was never good at remembering lines," Kuwabara stated.

Hiei glared at him. Before he could say anything, Kurama put his hand on his shoulder. "Let's get started," he suggested.

Everyone took out the packet/script and started reading off lines.

* * *

><p>"Okay guys, slumber party time!" Botan said in a cheery voice.<p>

"What the hell is a slumber party?" Hiei asked, even though he actually understood the concept. _I can't believe I'm going through this again, _he thought.

Many eyes fell on him when Yusuke said, "Um, it's a party where you, uh, slumber?" The others, except for Hiei chuckled.

"That makes absolutely no sense," Hiei said, shooting Yusuke and the others a glare telling them to act according to the script. He didn't want anything to go wrong.

"Oh sure it does," Yusuke said. "We hang out, watch movies, play games…it's usually a girl thing though where they stay up all night and talk and gossip."

"Not every girl does that, Yusuke," Keiko said in irritation without even looking at the script for that one.

"Aw, come on, Keiko. You know I meant nothing by it."

"So what are we watching?" Kuwabara asked, changing the subject. "I say something scary."

"Uh, why something scary?" Yukina asked.

"Oh, uh, no reason," Kuwabara said nervously while holding his hands up.

"I say we watch something romantic," Keiko said.

"Oh, I agree," Botan said.

"We are NOT watching a chic-flick," Yusuke muttered.

"A what?"

"Seriously, Hiei. You have never had a slumber party or heard of what happens at a girl's slumber party?" Kuwabara asked.

"Hn. You're an idiot. I lived in Demon World all my life. How am I supposed to know anything about your trivial customs?"

"So I was right about you not having a childhood."

"SHUT UP!" Kuwabara jumped back. Sure, the script did have Hiei yelling, but he wasn't as used to it as his counterpart in Hiei's world.

"Okay, okay, take it easy. We're just messing with you," Yusuke said.

"Yes, this is all in good fun."

"Well, you've been awfully quiet, fox."

Kurama smiled. "Well, I was waiting to see whether you would leave or stay."

"I have better things to do," Hiei said getting up to leave.

"Like what?" Keiko asked.

The guys looked at her in surprise as was stated on the packet. Hiei just stared blankly at the door.

"Bad question, Keiko," Yusuke muttered.

"No, I'm serious. What do you have that's so important that you can't spend one night with your friends?

"Really bad question, Keiko," Yusuke said.

"Well, Hiei?" Keiko pressed.

"Hn," he said, sitting back down.

"I thought so."

"So what should we play? We can pick out a movie later," Botan recited.

"Hey, I have an idea."

"What is it, baby bro?"

"Let's play, what-if."

"Wha…What-if?"

"Yeah, shorty. I'll give an example. What if I never fought with Urameshi?"

"Ha, you'd probably die of boredom because you wouldn't be getting your ass kicked."

"Shut up, Urameshi!"

"Hn. Maybe this is a good game."

"If you think so, then why don't you try shorty," Kuwabara grumbled.

"Hm?"

"I'll go next," Kurama said. "What if I never came to the Human World?"

"Well duh," Yusuke said. "We would never have met you."

"And since you were killed, your soul would have gone to spirit world," Botan said.

"You were a thief, right?" Shizuru asked, receiving a nod. "You probably would have gone to hell."

Silence was followed by some nervous laughter on everyone's part minus Hiei who said nothing…again.

"I have one," Yukina said. "What if the ice village hadn't cast away my brother?"

Hiei froze and looked up at Yukina. "Wait…what ice village?" Yusuke asked.

"I was born in an ice village that looked down upon men and saw them as a curse. They threw my brother off the side of cliff when he was born, but Rui said he came back to look for our mother a while ago after I left."

Kurama, Yusuke, Botan, and Shizuru looked over at Hiei. Hiei growled. "What are you all looking at?"

"Why didn't you tell us that, Hiei?" Yusuke asked._ Haha, I should win a Grammy for this._

"Wait, how would Hiei know?" Kuwabara asked.

"Jagan," Hiei said, before anyone else could say anything.

"No, seriously Hiei," Yusuke said.

"Seriously, detective. Shut up," Hiei hissed.

"I don't see what the problem is," Keiko said.

"It's nothing," Kurama said waving his hand. "Anyway, who wants to answer Yukina's question?"

"I think that if Yukina's brother wasn't cast out that neither of you would be in Human World in the first place," Shizuru said.

"And then we wouldn't have met two of our favorite people," Yusuke said.

"Two?" Keiko called out.

"Um, did I say two?" Yusuke asked nervously, not daring to look at Hiei's death glare. "I meant 'you, you...one of our favorite people, Yukina.'" Then Yusuke gave a nervous laugh.

_Good save, but slip again and I'll kill you,_ Hiei said to Yusuke telepathically. Yusuke forced a smile but nearly screamed when he heard Hiei talking in his head.

_Note to self: don't forget that he has telekinetic abilities._

_Telepathic! _Hiei growled in Yusuke's head.

"Your turn, Shizuru," Kuwabara said dragging everyone back into the scene.

"Okay, this goes with Yukina's. You said you were looking for your brother, right?" Yukina nodded. "Well, what if Yukina's brother actually told her that he was her brother?"

"Why don't you answer this one, Hiei?" Kurama asked. He received a glare and smiled.

"Yeah, I'd like to hear this one," Yusuke said, lying down on side using his arm as a headrest.

Hiei just glared at both of them and sighed in defeat. "If Yukina's brother decided to tell her the truth, she wouldn't be happy."

"Why do you say that, Hiei?" Keiko asked.

"Seriously, Keiko, stop with the bad questions," Yusuke said. Keiko "hmphed" even though it wasn't in the script. She still didn't like her boyfriend making fun of her. She honestly had no idea what was going on because it was still back during the time before she knew the truth. Keiko believed that they were acting out the scene in a play that Yusuke's cousin wrote so that he could go home and publish it.

"It was actually a very good question," Botan said defending Keiko. "Why do you think that, Hiei?"

"I can answer that," Shizuru said. "Maybe he's saying that her brother hates himself and expects her to hate him too."

"Hey, Shizuru, you can't add to the details. You asked the question," Kuwabara whined.

"I was just making an observation."

"An…observation?" Kuwabara asked confused. "What kind of observation? It's not like her brother is here, so how would you know?"

Before the four sets of eyes landed on Hiei again, he shot up. "I'm leaving," he growled as he walked out of Genkai's temple. Kurama went to follow him outside to finish this script.

"Did we do something wrong with his script?" Keiko asked.

"No Keiko," Yusuke said comfortingly. "We did it right." He smiled. He didn't really know Hiei, but the guy deserved to be happy and make things right. From the sound of the script, he had had a rough life. Hopefully, this would all work out.

* * *

><p>"Hiei, just come back inside."<p>

"Why?" Hiei asked, continuing the script. He remembered this part all too well.

"Well, let me ask a question."

"Does it have to do with that stupid game?"

"Yes."

"Then no."

"I'm asking it anyway. What if Yukina came to the conclusion that you're her brother all on her own?"

"I don't do 'what-ifs' fox. Go have your party."

"Hiei, what if this 'what if' was a reality."

"That makes no sense." Hiei turned to look at Kurama instead of flitting off.

"Come back, Hiei. You need to tell Yukina the truth."

Hiei nodded and followed. _So far, so good._

Hiei and Kurama came back into the temple and Hiei went over to Yukina and pulled her aside.

"Yukina, I lied to you," he told her quietly. "I should have told you that I was your brother. It was a mistake to keep this secret."

Yukina smiled at him and kissed his cheek. "It's okay, big brother."

Hiei smiled until something hit him. He was still in this made up world. Everyone else realized that too.

What went wrong?

* * *

><p>AN: Okay, now there's one more chapter. I think I'll write it now so I can mark this story as done :3 I really hope you've enjoyed it. I'm sorry it's coming to an end.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters.

Well, here it is…the last chapter. It's been a fun ride, but it had to end sometime (preferably before I completely ran out of ideas. Besides, what better way that to start off the new year with a finished fanfic?

* * *

><p>"What went wrong?" Yusuke asked.<p>

"I don't know. This doesn't make sense," Kurama replied. He had also thought that it was the changing point.

"I have a question," Yukina stated causing everyone to look at her. "What if Hiei wasn't the one who made a mistake?"

"What do you mean?" Kuwabara asked.

"I mean, what if it was one of our mistakes that led to his?"

"Who made a mistake?" Kuwabara asked.

"You did," Yukina said pointing to a page in the script. "You said that my brother wasn't here, which alerted Hiei to leave."

"Yeah, but how do you know he would have stayed if Kuwabara hadn't said that?" Botan asked.

"Because I would have realized it and stopped him myself," Yukina replied.

"So we have to do this all again?" Yusuke whined.

"No," Kurama stated. "Just from where Yukina is pointing. Let's try it out her way. Hiei?"

Hiei nodded his agreement. He was willing to try anything. Plus, Yukina was probably right. His leaving seemed to be what caused the problem.

Hiei started reading from his line. "If Yukina's brother decided to tell her the truth, she wouldn't be happy."

"Why do you say that, Hiei?" Keiko asked.

"Seriously, Keiko, stop with the bad questions," Yusuke said quickly. He wanted to hurry this alone. Both Hiei and Kurama rolled their eyes at him.

"It was actually a very good question," Botan said. "Why do you think that, Hiei?"

"I can answer that," Shizuru stated. "Maybe he's saying that her brother hates himself and expects her to hate him too."

"Hey, Shizuru, you can't add to the details. You asked the question," Kuwabara whined, although he didn't really feel like whining.

"I was just making an observation."

Kurama shot Kuwabara a glare to make sure he didn't say anything. Yukina looked over to Hiei who was glaring at Shizuru like he was the night of the slumber party and then over to Shizuru who just shrugged and lit a cigarette.

"Wait, does that mean that Hiei is my brother?"

Hiei looked over to her and was about to answer when a flash of light appeared in front of him. When the light cleared, he realized that he was back next to the beach near Genkai's temple.

"That couldn't have been it?" Hiei stated in a mixture of shock, confusion, and anger. Yes, he had made the mistake of leaving, but he couldn't help but feel pissed that the fool drove him to it.

"I don't control the way the dream world works, Hiei."

Hiei turned to find the source of the voice. It was the captain of the Boat of Dreams.

"I hate you," Hiei growled.

The man grinned at him. "I get that a lot," he replied. "Anyway, you have some business to take care of here, I assume."

Hiei's face softened when he thought of his sister and how much she had suffered because of him. "Yes," Hiei responded.

"Then I shall take my leave," the captain told him. "Good luck."

After the captain and boat disappeared over the horizon, the world around Hiei became alive and he could already feel the wind and hear the waves. _Yukina, _he thought before flitting off to the temple through the trees.

* * *

><p>Yukina was sitting outside the temple, looking up to the sky. Kurama was working on the garden he planted there. He used it as an excuse to come over without Kuwabara giving the poor girl grief. Kurama was getting irritated with his long-time friend, but he knew Yukina would be upset if he did anything to the guy.<p>

Kurama was surprised when Hiei appeared in the middle of the clearing and smiled. He knew his best friend would come back sooner or later.

"Yukina, I'm going inside," Kurama stated. Hiei looked over to him in confusion.

Yukina started to take her eyes off the sky and look at her boyfriend. "Okay, that's f-" Yukina stopped speaking when she saw Hiei standing in front of her. "H-Hiei?" she asked, tears starting to form in her eyes.

Hiei knelt down in front of her and ran his fingers through her hair comfortingly. "I'm sorry, Yukina. So incredibly sorry." Yukina moved to the ground and hugged him.

"I'm so glad you're back," she whispered in his ear.

"I should have never left," he told her.

"Where did you go?" Yukina asked. "Kurama and I searched everywhere."

"I know; I saw," he admitted. Both Kurama and Yukina looked at him in confusion.

"How?" Yukina asked.

Kurama gasped in realization. "The Boat of Dreams."

Hiei nodded, not letting go of his sister.

"Boat of Dreams?" Yukina asked. Apparently in this world, she had never heard of it.

"Yes. I made a mistake that night by leaving before you realized who I was. It should have happened, so I was transported to a world where it hadn't yet happened. The world was twisted. Nothing like our life in this one, but just as terrible and full of heartache. I had to figure out where the mistake was made and correct it, then relive it somehow. Then, any time I went to sleep, I would see what was happening here."

"Everything?" Kurama asked nervously.

Hiei looked at him and smirked. "Yes, fox, everything including how you helped my sister through everything and kept her safe." Kurama could hear the underlying message in his words.

"Thank you."

"Hn. Just stay on my good side and we'll be fine," Hiei joked.

Yukina giggled at the joke. Now she would probably have to worry about having an overprotective brother, but she realized that he had always been trying to protect her. He had always been there to protect her.

"Yukina!" they heard a voice shout out.

Yukina looked between her brother and boyfriend with worry. Kurama glared over to the direction the voice came from and Hiei growled. He hadn't been expecting to deal with Kuwabara so soon.

"There you are, Yukina," Kuwabara said but he stopped walking over to her when he saw Hiei holding her. Kuwabara glared at Hiei who just shot him back a dirty look. "Well, look who decided to come crawling back and beg his sister for forgiveness. How could you lie to her like that? You don't deserve her forgiveness."

"Not that it's any of your business after you treated my sister so poorly," Hiei snapped, "but I agree that I don't deserve her forgiveness."

"Well, at least we can agree on something," Kuwabara grumbled. "How can you just leave her?"

"It…wasn't done on purpose," Hiei stated looking towards the ground. He still couldn't get over what he put his sister through.

"Look, I didn't come here to listen to your crap and lies, Hiei," Kuwabara retorted. "I'm here to talk to Yukina."

Yukina shot him a glare and he backed away. "Don't talk to my brother like that. He already explained everything to Kurama and to me. You don't have the right to talk to him like that."

Kuwabara was taken aback by Yukina's reaction. He had come to try and work things out with her. He had actually been hoping that she was alone so that he wouldn't have to deal with Kurama. Kuwabara was still angry at Kurama for dating Yukina. To him, it just wasn't right.

"You need to leave," Yukina said calmly.

"But-"

"Leave!" she shouted, grasping harder onto Hiei.

Hiei glared at Kuwabara and Kuwabara knew he was holding himself back. He didn't really feel like losing his life or seeing Yukina this upset.

"Alright, I'll go," Kuwabara said defeated as he left the compound.

Kurama walked over to the twins and sat on the ground next to Yukina. While she continued to hug her brother, he rubbed her back comfortingly.

Hiei looked up to the sky and saw the captain's face light up the sky winking at him before disappearing. Hiei smiled and hugged his sister tighter. He would be spending the rest of his life making up for lying to her and he didn't mind that one bit.

* * *

><p>AN: Aw, yay, happy ending :) I hope everyone enjoyed this story. I was starting to run out of ideas, so part of me is happy it's done. Let me know if you guys have any requests for stories you'd like to see. Try to keep it T rated and non-yoai/yuri. But I am always open for new ideas :3


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